I. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of personal restraint and securing of individuals, and more specifically to handcuffs used in various scenarios, such as law enforcement, military, corrections or private security, wherein enhanced features make removing the handcuffs more difficult for the restrained individual.
II. Background
Handcuffs have been used for centuries to restrain individuals in various scenarios, including but not limited to prison or correctional facility situations. Use and construction of handcuffs and similar restraints are well known, and handcuffs are generally accepted as an effective restraint system for use by law enforcement, military personnel, security officers and various other entities worldwide. Handcuffs are a standard issued item of police equipment utilized by every major law enforcement agency in the world, and handcuffs and/or related restraints are currently in use by police officers, corrections officers, private security officers, military personnel, and so forth. The same may be said for other restraining devices, including but not limited to handcuffs, leg chains, waist chains, finger cuffs, and any manner of mechanisms used to restrain a person's wrists, hands, arms, ankles, legs, feet, or any or other body part. As used herein, all these restraining devices will be generally referred to as “handcuffs” and the teachings herein may apply to other restraining devices while illustrated for use in, for example, restraining an individual by his or her wrists.
Handcuffs have for decades employed a standard ratchet teeth type locking system wherein a standard universal handcuff key is needed to unlock them. The basic design of handcuffs has been virtually unchanged for more than a century. Handcuffs are a critical piece of law enforcement equipment and very few viable alternatives to standard handcuffs exist. Although many manufacturers have attempted to create a more secure handcuff, these have largely been commercially unsuccessful and thus the same traditional handcuff style used decades ago is still in use today.
The standard handcuff in use by law enforcement today utilizes a bracelet type design placed around a wrist and secured via a ratchet which is then locked into place. The teeth of the ratchet engage the teeth of the spring-loaded pawl located inside the bracelet and when the pawl is forced against the ratchet, the two sets of teeth are locked together. To release the handcuffs, the pawl must be disengaged from the ratchet teeth, which is accomplished with the use of a universal handcuff key. The handcuff key is rotated to disengage the primary lock. The design of the ratchet teeth and pawl allows for free movement of a piece called a strand when tightening the handcuffs, but prevents the single strand from loosening unless the pawl is depressed so that it may no longer engage the ratchet teeth.
Each wrist of the wearer is secured with an individual handcuff connected to another handcuff via a small chain, hinge, solid locking component, or other method. This assembly is commonly referred to as a set of handcuffs, a pair of handcuffs, “handcuffs” or any other derivative phrase indicating two or more handcuff portions secured together to form a unit capable of securing two or more appendages of a wearer.
A universal handcuff key is used to manipulate a double lock bar mechanism, which moves laterally under the pawl. The double lock bar can be set to prevent the pawl from being depressed thereby locking the single strand into place. Handcuffs with double lock bars have a detent, which when engaged, stops the cuff from ratcheting tighter and prevents the wearer from over-tightening the cuffs. Tightening the handcuff ratchets could be intentional or may occur unintentionally when pressure is applied to the single strand ratchet. As a result, handcuffs may cause nerve damage or loss of circulation in a wearer's hands due to over-tightening. Additionally, some wearers may tighten the handcuffs in order to attempt an escape by utilizing lock picking tools or have an officer loosen the handcuffs where the wearer subsequently attempts to escape while the handcuffs are loosened. Double locking the handcuffs make picking handcuff locks more difficult.
These traditional and current handcuff designs are extremely susceptible to countermeasures and escape attempts such as lock picking. Lock picking is the practice of unlocking a lock by manipulating various components of the locking device without the use of the original key. For purposes of this document, the term “lock picking” will broadly be used to describe various countermeasures utilized in an attempt to defeat the security capabilities of handcuffs or related restraints.
Handcuffs may be opened in four general ways: utilizing a handcuff key or lock pick, slipping the hands out of the handcuffs when the hands are smaller than the ratchet openings, releasing the pawl with a shim, or breaking the handcuff chain commonly known as “handcuff breaking.”
A significant issue with commercial handcuffs today is the ability to unlock the cuffs using a single commonly available universal handcuff key. The universal handcuff key is simple in its design and encompasses a shaft, a bow which is used to grip the key, a single bit which engages the pawl of the handcuffs to release the single strand and a peg used to engage the double locking mechanism. Due to the simple design of the key and corresponding locking mechanism inside the common handcuff, significant vulnerabilities exist in the design.
Many law enforcement officers utilize handcuffs designed for use with a universal handcuff key due to needs for operational and field expediency. Handcuffs are often placed on suspects and physical custody of the individual(s) is transferred to other law enforcement personnel. The need to have a common key is important to ensure efficiency when cuffing, uncuffing or transporting a prisoner whether it is in a patrol environment, the courts, a jail system, prisons or any other setting. Further, emergency situations can sometimes arise when releasing the individual is required for the individual's safety, and an unusual or remote key could potentially result in harm to the individual.
Due to this commonality of the universal handcuff key design, suspects and other non-law enforcement related personnel sometimes carry handcuff keys on their person in anticipation of defeating handcuff locking mechanisms. Variations of the universal handcuff key are often hidden and kept by criminals and inmates on their person with the intent to escape and/or assault someone. Handcuff keys have been known to be built into devices and/or attached to designs to be worn on a person's clothing or body wherein they are not readily recognized as a handcuff key. These surreptitious handcuff keys can then be quickly deployed and utilized to escape or attack an officer or other individual nearby.
Additionally, a simple pin or piece of metal (or similar object) can be utilized to pick the primary handcuff locking mechanism, or a shim can be forced between the single strand ratchet teeth and the pawl, thereby releasing the handcuffs. Books and instructional videos are readily available demonstrating various ways to open handcuffs—even by the wearer. These methods for picking standard handcuffs can be learned and completed with the use of a single hand by individuals even while handcuffed with their hands behind their backs.
Lock breaking refers to a method whereby the handcuffs are twisted in such a manner as to cause undue torsion on the small chain connecting the two handcuff assemblies. Additional tension is then exerted with force by the wearer so that the chain breaks thereby freeing a suspect's hands. Such a vulnerability is also undesirable.
There is a need for enhanced security handcuffs which provides substantially greater security and an inability for them to be opened by the wearer. Security handcuffs should be simple to operate, should preferably have a generally similar form factor as current designs, and still utilize a universal handcuff key. Handcuffs should be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to open by the wearer of the handcuffs even if they are in possession of the handcuff key or other lock picking device. Handcuffs should nevertheless be capable of easily being unlocked by an officer, utilizing a universal handcuff key, while at the same time avoiding the design limitations and vulnerabilities associated with earlier designs.